BUMP, time's running out if we want to get some/all of these on the 5th Clark

On the one hand: the old system whereby political parties could give seats to whoever they wanted enabled corruption and meant no democratic accountability of who got in the Cosa.

On the other hand: it allowed new citizens to get involved in national legislation right away, should they want to.

POSSIBLE COMPROMISE: reserve a certain amount of seats in the Cosa (7.5% of the Cosa, 15 out of the current 200? or in addition to the current 200?) for the Secretary of State (not the parties) to allocate to people who immigrated since the last election, maximum of 1.5% of the Cosa per person. This is not dissimilar to how other countries have reserved seats which are nominated (not elected) to bring minority or marginalised groups into the legislature. So random newbie turns up, SoS says "here are your 3 seats". If we run out of seats because more than 5 newbies show up, the SoS can redistribute the allocations. I doubt we'd get more than 15 per term.

This would allow newbies to get involved right away without having to pledge allegiance to one or another political party right off the bat. It would mean influence over legislation, and possibly over VoCs, but not disproportionately so (perhaps the allocated seats wouldn't get to vote on the VoC?) However it would need an OrgLaw amendment to IV.1 and IV.2.

Comments?

Quote from: xpb on December 21, 2021, 11:17:16 AM
Bumping this thread.  Our Lord Warden did not vote on RZ1, and has not yet voted on RZ8, which is similar to the point of being a repeat a mere repeat.

I wish it were a mere repeat; then it would be law now.

Going away with the family for Christmas, should be back on or around Independence Day. I'm reachable on Facebook or via email in case of emergency. There'd better still be a country when I come back.

The arguments for and against a Real Cosa - as existed in Talossa from 1997 to 2003 - have been hashed out at length. This bill only gives future Zius flexibility to experiment with various configurations. There is no reason why 200 is a magic number apart from a kind of reflexive conservativism.

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on July 25, 2021, 04:27:39 PM
Possible further fixes to the Seneschál election. My top two questions: do we want to make it possible to abstain? Do we want to continue to require MCs to name two preferences?

Is anyone interested in taking this further, or is the Seneschál election mechanism fine as it is?

What do you guys think of my Three Small Amendments?

The Organic Law Small Amendment #1 (Cosa Seats) Act

WHEREAS it is good for there to be some kind of flexibility in the size of the Cosa, within limits:

BE IT ENACTED by the King, Senäts and Cosa of Talossan in Ziu assembled that the Organic Law IV.1 be amended by the addition of the following underlined text:

QuoteThe Cosa is the national legislative assembly, and is composed of 200 seats apportioned among political parties based on their performance in the General Election. It may administer itself as it sees fit. The number of seats in the Cosa may be changed by law, with the provisos that any such change will not take effect until the next general election of the Cosa; and that the number of seats in the Cosa may never be less than twice the number of Senators minus one.

---

The Organic Law Small Amendment #2 (Seneschál's Rights in the Hopper) Act

WHEREAS when the Comità da Redacziun Legislatïu was set up, there were complaints that the combination of the new system with Organic Law VII.6 gave the Government too much power to bypass the system with its bills, compared to those of private MZs:

BE IT ENACTED by the King, Senäts and Cosa of Talossan in Ziu assembled that Organic Law VII.6:

QuoteThe Seneschál shall have the right at his discretion to withdraw any legislative proposal from the Hopper and instruct the Secretary of State to treat it as a properly submitted bill.

is hereby deleted entirely.

---

The Organic Law Small Amendment #3 (Dignity of the Túischac'h) Act

WHEREAS the Chair of the Senäts, the Mençéi, is an Organic position, but the Chair of the Cosa, the Túischac'h is not;

and WHEREAS there appears to be no good reason for this;

BE IT ENACTED by the King, Senäts and Cosa of Talossan in Ziu assembled that a new section of the Organic Law, to be numbered IV.12, read as follows:

QuoteThe Cosa shall elect one of its members to serve as Speaker of the Cosa (Talossan: el Túischac'h) for the upcoming term. The Speaker shall preside, direct and maintain order during Living Cosas and in the Hopper, in an unbiased fashion. Otherwise, his function will be to advise Members of the Cosa of appropriate decorum. He is considered the honourable President of the Cosâ and shall be awarded all due veneration when serving as such. In the absence of the Túischac'h from the Hopper, the Mençéi shall perform these duties.

and that El Lexhatx H.21, which has this identical text, is hereby deleted entirely.

The Free Democrats, Talossa's currently dominant political party, have elected Secretary of State @Txec dal Nordselva as Party President at their currently ongoing convention. Miestra Schiva was re-elected Party Secretary and Gödafrïeu Valcádac'h was elected chair of the party in Fiova Province.

This new party leadership will be in charge of choosing the Free Democrat list of candidates at the next election, including the question of whom the Free Democrats will suggest as the next Seneschál, subject to approval from the party membership in secret ballot.

The Convention is currently concluding with an open debate on the current Talossan crisis of activity/immigration, led off by the new Party President. Non-members of the Party are welcome to observe, and to contact the Party Secretary if they wish to make a guest speech.

Why though?

Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on May 03, 2021, 07:52:03 PM
We are Talossan political parties and intervals who represent the whole range of opinion on the Constitutional issue, from monarchist to republican and everywhere in between.

We believe that the time has come for a historic compromise which settles the question for a Talossan generation or more. Talossa has other, better things to debate.

We believe that the "Talossa Shall Choose Its King Amendment" (proposed to the last Cosă as RZ21) meets the qualifications to be precisely that compromise.

We are disappointed that His Majesty King John vetoed this proposal, and we pledge that - if it is re-presented to the next Coså - we will vote for it.

Despite our disagreements on other issues, we hope, between us, to win sufficient support in the current election to thus at least present this Historic Compromise to the people in referendum, over the Royal veto.

Long live the Kingdom of Talossa!

Signed:

E. S. Börnatfiglheu for the New Peculiar Way
T. E. Davinescù for the Free Democrats of Talossa
B. Itravilatx for the Talossan National Congress
M. E. P. Tafial per el Parti Tafialistà

Yes, up until Clark deadline

Amazing that your party campaigned in the last election on supporting the Original Compromise, then you voted against it, THEN you voted against this watered down version. Well has it been said that, in politics, being utterly shameless is a superpower.

Very glad to hear you want the job

In case there was any misunderstanding, the Government is taking all these ideas - as we do any other raised by citizens - under advisement. The biggest problem is that fully half the Government is non-functional at the moment and the handful of functioning ministers are having to "triage" what we can do right now. The question of rejuvenating the Cabinet lineup is in the hands of the Seneschál.

The problem with talossa.net is that the Ministry of STUFF has ground to a complete halt because Eðo has other things to do. The Seneschál has signalled a total cabinet reshuffle for... sometime soon, I suppose.

I wonder if you would be interested in suggesting amendments to the "Cutting Red and Green Tape" section of the FreeDems programme in line with the musing above.